SIBMAS - International Association of Libraries
and Museums of the Performing Arts

SIBMAS Rules

Article 1

The name of the Association is the International Association of Libraries and Museums of Performing Arts. The registered office is at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, département des Arts du spectacle, 58 rue de Richelieu, F-75002 Paris, France.

Aims
Article 2

Under the terms of the Order in Council of 12 April 1939, concerning foreign associations with their registered office in France, this Association shall promote research, practical and theoretical, in the documentation of the performing arts, shall establish permanent international contacts between libraries, specialised museums, centres of specialised information and documentation, shall co-ordinate the work of members and shall facilitate international exchange between them.

Article 3

These aims shall be achieved by the organisation of or participation in international congresses, conferences, seminars, courses, exhibitions and similar activities; by the publication of books, reports, periodicals, bulletins and other relevant documentation of the performing arts; by participation in the work of other international organisations concerned with the performing arts.

Article 4

The Association shall not interfere in national matters. The two official languages of the Association shall be French and English.
All the documents shall be written in English and French.

Article 5

Membership of the Association is open to the following categories:
A. Institutional Member: an institution (library, museum or resource centre) or organisation concerned with documentation of performing arts
B. Personal member: an individual concerned with documentation of performing arts.
If they so desire, members within any national or regional entity may establish a Membership Centre and choose a Corresponding Secretary, who must necessarily be a SIBMAS Member. The Centre can collect dues, disseminate information and carry other relevant activities. There is no connection between National or Regional Centres and voting.

General Assembly

Article 6

The Association shall be composed of:
- A General Assembly
- A Council
- An Executive Committee.
The General Assembly shall be composed of all members present or represented by proxy. It shall meet every second year at least.
Only full paid-up members may vote. Each Institutional Member shall be entitled to three votes. Each Personal Member shall be entitled to a single vote. Each Institutional Member may appoint a representative to cast its vote. Each Personal and Institutional Member may delegate his vote to another member; however no person may cast more than one proxy vote (one institutional or one personal) in addition to his own. This proxy vote must be made in writing and signed by the President of the Association. All the resolutions of the General Assembly, except in the cases of Article 15 (Dissolution of the Association) and Article 16 (Amendment of the Rules), shall be decided by a simple majority of those members present.
The vote shall be secret.
A tie vote shall be regarded as a rejection of the motion. Decisions taken by the General Assembly are binding on all members of the Association, including those not present at the meeting.

Article 7

An Extraordinary General Assembly must be convened within three months if half the members submit a written application to the President, with a copy to the Secretary-General. The request shall enumerate the points on which the Extraordinary General Assembly shall rule. An Extraordinary General Assembly may be held whenever the Executive Committee deems it advisable.

Article 8

The General Assembly shall elect:
1. Members of the Executive Committee that is a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary-General, a Treasurer and four other members
2. Seven other members to serve on the Council
Members of the Executive Committee and Council shall be elected for two years and shall be eligible for two re-elections and then again only after an intervening period of two years. The Secretary-General and the Treasurer can stand for re-election without limits.
Nominations to fill vacancies on the Executive Committee and the Council must be submitted to the Secretary-General at least 24 hours before the date and time of the General Assembly and must be proposed and seconded by an accredited member with the written consent of the candidate.
The Secretary-General shall have nomination forms available on the opening day of the Congress; the availability of such forms shall be made known to all of the members present. Elections to the Council should be conducted with view toward a wide geographical representation and representation of varied interests of the SIBMAS membership.
The General Assembly shall ratify the two-years schedule of activities of the Association proposed by the Council. It shall also receive reports, including the financial report, from the Executive Committee and, if approved, accept them. The Executive Committee shall send the Agenda of the next General Assembly to all members at least two months before the date of the next meeting.

Executive Committee and Council

Article 9

The Council shall consist of the President, the Immediate Past President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer and eleven other members as elected under Article 8.
The Executive Committee is composed of the President, the Immediate Past President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General, the Treasurer and four of the eleven other members of the Council.
The President of the International Federation for Theatre Research is a member of the Council ex officio.The President of the International Council of Museum is also a member of the Council ex officio.
Moreover external experts and other members of SIBMAS may be invited to contribute to the objectives of the Council.

Article 10

If a vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee, the Committee shall co-opt a replacement, such replacement to be an elected Member of the Council and whose name shall be submitted for ratification at the next meeting of the General Assembly and whose terms of office shall be that of the member whose place he filled.

Article 11

The Council is responsible for drawing up the schedule of activities of the Association. It shall admit new members to the Association and may appoint members of the Association to carry out special tasks. The Council should meet at least every two years before the convening of the General Assembly and before the convening of any Extraordinary General Assembly.
The Executive Committee is invested with the powers necessary to carry out the schedule of activities of the Association as drawn up by the Council and ratified by the General Assembly. The Executive Committee is responsible for obtaining the means to carry out the plans and for the management of the affairs of the Association. The Executive Committee shall appoint those authorised to sign in the name of the Association. The Members of the Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year.
Decisions of the Council and of the Executive Committee shall be settled by a simple majority vote. A tie vote shall be regarded as rejection of the motion.

Resources

Article 12

The funds of the Association comprise the annual subscription of members as decided by the General Assembly, and all gifts, contributions or subsidies and other pecuniary resources come by legally.

Demission / Removal

Article 13

A member may withdraw from the Association only after discharging all obligations, including payment of dues.

Article 14

The Executive Committee shall have the power to censure and expel a member who fails to pay subscription or who persists in any conduct that the Executive Committee considers injurious to the good name of the Association and detrimental to its proper functioning and vital interests. Appeals against expulsion may be brought before the General Assembly.

Dissolution

Article 15

The dissolution of the Association can be decided only at a General Assembly or an Extraordinary General Assembly. At this General Assembly, two-third of the total membership must be present. The consent of three-fourths of the members voting is required. If the number of members present is less than two-thirds of the total membership, an Extraordinary General Assembly must be convened within three months and the decision of this Assembly will be by majority vote, irrespective of the number of members present. Upon the dissolution of the Association, the General Assembly shall decide on the disposition of the archives, funds and other matters of concern to the Association.

Revision of the rules

Article 16

The interpretation of these rules is the responsibility of the Executive Committee. Matters not covered by these rules shall be decided by the Executive Committee and such decision shall be submitted to the next General Assembly for ratification by two-thirds of members present or represented. The text of all proposals to revise, add or to rescind any of the Rules must be circulated to members by the Secretary-General at least two months before this Assembly.

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Last modified: 12.11.2004